Sighing she accepted the fact that she wouldn't be that lucky in this life to die so easily. Slowly she got to her knees and leaned back against the side of the swaying cart. Looking around she could see that all the eyes of the other occupants of the cart were on her. She recognized some of them. The milk man's daughter was a buxom blond, who looked like she was about to die of fright, a city councilmen's daughter, as well as two other prominent citizens' daughters and two other girls of lesser birth that she didn't recognize.
The councilmen's daughter even though looking afraid as to what her fate might be, could not hold back from the snoodity that seemed to go with members of her social status.
"We thought you were dead. I'm glad to see that you're not."
Gesturing to the slavers she said, "Now they can make sport of you and leave us for ransom."
Krista smiled grimly, "Elise, you'll soon find out for yourself that they'll be no ransom other than that which your future owner pays for you. And that will only be for the privilege of doing whatever he wishes with you. Welcome to the life of being a slave, Elise."
Krista regretted the words as soon as she had said them. She had only meant to take Elise's cocky high and mighty attitude down a few notches, but in doing so she saw that she had heightened the fear in the eyes of the other girls, which she hadn't meant to do. The facts were the facts though and they would all find out the reality of them soon enough.
Later that day the slavers stopped to make camp in an abandoned village. The girls were herded into an old shack and made to stand against a wall stretched out in a line. Krista was the farthest one from the door of the shack. Standing at the door to block any attempt at escape stood a wiry evil looking slaver with crooked dirty teeth. He did nothing but grin and wink at the girls suggestively.
Fearful whispers began to rise among the girls as to what was about to happen. Their whispers were interrupted abruptly by the opening of the door. Surprisingly a woman stepped through the door and the brief moment of hope that rose up within Krista swiftly turned cold and died painfully.
By her clothes and the manner in which the woman displayed herself Krista recognized the woman for what she was. She was the madam of a whore house or something close to it. She had come to buy new product for her customers.